How a New Space Project Lets Anyone Say Hello to the Universe

A collaboration between Australia’s Powerhouse Museum and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is reviving the spirit of NASA’s legendary 1977 Voyager Golden Record.

The new project, titled “Humans,” invites people from around the world to record short audio messages—personal reflections, poems, questions, or even jokes—that will be transmitted into space two years from now.

Participants range from children sharing thoughts about caring for the planet to adults expressing love, loss, and everyday joys like “hot chips.”

The initiative aims to represent a collective human voice reaching beyond Earth’s atmosphere, showcasing how humanity has evolved in its creativity, emotion, and self-awareness since the original Voyager mission.

Some contributors ponder whether extraterrestrial beings might ever receive these messages, while others see it as a timeless gesture of connection across the universe.

Australian astronaut Katherine Bennell-Pegg described the project as a reminder of how finding life elsewhere could redefine humanity’s understanding of itself.

Submissions remain open until January 2026, allowing anyone—regardless of age or nationality—to leave a digital trace of Earth’s story among the stars.